Shared History
by katachresis
Summary: When a new student enters Sesshomaru's life, he is forced to confront the past he has buried. Yaoi, reincarnation, SessxMiro
1. meeting again

Un. Ficbunnies are vicious. I'm too busy for this, damnit! :E *sighs, does their bidding like a good little uke* :X   
  
My first stab at this subgenre, because it wouldn't leave me alone. Wish me luck, and I really hope you all like! And as always, thanks to Rin for some of the technicals, Kat for the names and beta and kthx-ing, and Colin for beta-ing.   
  
Possible future warnings for this fic: reincarnation, yaoi, underage sex, angst, darkness, and fluff. ^^; Oh, and the name is cheap, and I might change it. ^^  
  
--==--  
  
In a quiet classroom, a teacher gathered his things together, sliding them into his bag. Notes, role sheets, extra handouts, homework. He paused, his hand on his edition of the textbook.   
  
It was the first day of classes, and his first year teaching at this particular school. He had a habit of changing schools often, of moving all over Japan. It kept things simple, kept people from asking too many questions. Kept him from being lonely, from really thinking about things.  
  
He picked up the history book, considered it for a second, and he could have sworn that for a second he could feel the physical weight of all the years he had seen. He shook his head slightly as he slid it into his bag with the rest of his things, trying to shake off the feeling of melancholy.  
  
It had all started this morning, when he met his new students. In the sea of strange faces, there had been one hauntingly familiar pair of eyes watching him. He sighed, dropping his face into his hands for a moment. He had been shocked at how hard it was not to say something, to pretend as if everything was normal.  
  
"Hiroshige-sensei?" The name, even though he had used it for years, was still unfamiliar and if it hadn't been spoken by a soft, achingly familiar voice it might not have broken into his scattered thoughts.  
  
His breath caught. He hadn't heard anyone come back into the room. He slowly dropped his hands, stared up into his student's face.   
  
Looking back at him was the monk, Miroku. The same eyes, sparkling with wicked humor, the too-long hair, and even pierced ears, though the earrings had been removed to uphold the school's dress code.   
  
Of course, it wasn't really him. It had been far too many years, and Sesshomaru knew it. But god, it hurt to look at him. Standing in front of him was a perfect reminder of the fact that he had lived too many years, and that everyone he had cared for, hated, or had any sort of attachment to at all was long-dead.   
  
Beyond that, it was a reminder of how very, very stupid he had been so long ago. He had wasted so much time, trying to prove himself as a youkai lord, trying to deny the qualities that his father had seen so clearly when he had given him the Tensaiga. If only he had been a little less stubborn, perhaps things would have been different.  
  
Suddenly, he realized that the boy must have a question for him. He cleared his suddenly tight throat self-consciously. "Can I help you?"  
  
The boy took a breath. "I... ah. I didn't get a copy of the handout." A faint flush appeared on his cheeks.   
  
Sesshomaru let out an unconscious sigh, feeling unexpected disappointment flood over him. He nodded brusquely, pulled out a paper from his bag. "Here. The assignment is due tomorrow."  
  
The boy nodded, taking it. "I remember. Thank you Hiroshige-sensei." He gave Sesshomaru a small smile, then turned to leave.  
  
"What was your name again?"   
  
He turned, smiling a bit more and bowing. "Tanizaki Masahiko. But everyone calls me Masa."  
  
Sesshomaru nodded. "I'll see you tomorrow. Good luck on the assignment." The words tasted bitter, cold. He watched his student leave, the door closing gently behind him. He stared at the door for a few moments, then growled to himself, standing up and angrily picking up his bag. Of course the boy wouldn't recognize him. There was no reason to expect him to. He was being quite entirely foolish.  
  
And yet - he ached to hear his true name on the boy's lips.  
  
--==--  
reviewkthx? 


	2. sleepless night

Short, yes. n.n; But longer than the last one! And I promise that this will be a trend! Props to colin the wondertwin. Also, any of you who like nc17 stuff, go check out my page. ^.~ For those who are interested in knowing when I update this and my other fics, you can go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/katachresis and join my new ml. Now, enjoy, even though it's a bit on the underfed side XD Have -got- to learn how to flesh chapters out better!  
  
--==--  
  
Sometimes, Masa reflected to himself wryly, he could be the biggest fool in the world. He wondered if Hiroshige-sensei had picked up on that.   
  
He sat on his bed, homework spread out in front of him, and considered the duplicate handout he had for history. What on earth had possessed him to go back and find Hiroshige-sensei? And with such a flimsy excuse too. He would have been shocked if the teacher hadn't seen right through his lie.  
  
Yet, he felt he had to. Something had caught his eye about Hiroshige-sensei... something about the way the teacher had looked at him, with eyes that seemed surprised and sad. The gaze had lingered on him for a breath longer than it should have and his mouth tightened slightly. Barely-noticeable reactions, all of them, but Masa had grown relatively adept at reading such small signs of emotional distress with his ex-girlfriend.  
  
Something was causing Hiroshige-sensei a lot of pain, he was sure of it. And somehow, he reminded the teacher of it. He wondered distantly what it could be.  
  
Masa sighed, falling back onto the bed and flinging an arm over his face. His head hurt. It was his first day of high school, and he already had at least an hour of homework in every class. And instead of getting started on any of it, he was lying there, contemplating playing therapist to a teacher at least fifteen years his senior.  
  
Complete idiocy. He groaned, sat up, running a hand through hair that had fallen loose. He glanced over at his phone. This time last month, he would have been on it with Sana, blissfully ignoring his homework.  
  
He rolled over onto his stomach, grabbed his pillow and pulled it over his head. God, he hated the night now. The night had been their time. It was the only time that they had been able to be together in any sense of the word since she moved back to Korea.  
  
Without looking, he smacked the framed picture of her on his nightstand, knocking it over.   
  
After a long while wallowing in his misery and -not- crying, damnit, he quietly sat up, gathered his homework, and went to sit at his desk. He slid headphones over his ears, turned the light on.   
  
He supposed that it was lucky that he was having trouble sleeping already - with the amount of schoolwork he would be getting this year, he wouldn't have time for it. Ignoring the persistent ache in his heart, he opened his math textbook, grimacing at the assignment for the night.   
  
--==--  
  
Sesshomaru lay on his futon in the dark, staring blankly up at the ceiling, feeling like his world was crashing in on him. He had spent the last several hundred years moving -on- with his life. Why was this happening now?  
  
Of course, he was relatively certain that his brother's woman, Kagome, was somewhere out there. He had deliberately avoided working at the schools in that area of Tokyo, on the off-chance that he would run into her.   
  
He hadn't really considered the chance that the others could have reincarnations, which was, in retrospect, rather short-sighted of him. Kagome, after all, was a reincarnation. It stood to reason that this would have happened sooner or later.  
  
He closed his eyes, listening to his own breath. At one time, he would have heard the faint breaths of Rin lying next to him, and the discordant snores of Jaken, until he got fed up and kicked the servant.  
  
Really, he had been a fool then. He had taken them for granted, and they had both been lost to him entirely too soon. He would never quite forgive himself for what had happened to them.  
  
And yet, it had lead to an uneasy alliance with his hanyou brother, and eventually into a partnership. One might have even called them friends, though considering their past, they could never be as close as they might have been. And then, of course, time took away his brother as well.  
  
He never grew close to Inuyasha's companions. He had seen no reason.   
  
Sesshomaru groaned, sitting up. God, his head ached. And sleep was not forthcoming. Perhaps he should take something for his headache and read. Or drink something. Though he didn't think even that would help him sleep.  
  
He sighed, getting up and going to the kitchen, settling on a cup of tea and some aspirin. He held it, let it cool down and warm his hands as he stared out the small kitchen window and wondered vaguely what the boy was doing now. Probably sleeping, blissfully unaware of the turmoil he was causing.  
  
It was strange - in all the years he had known the other's face before, he had never realized how truly breathtaking he was. He had barely remembered his name, having always referred to him as "the monk." And his woman, of course. Was he going to be running into her as well? God, he hoped not. One of them was depressing enough.   
  
Tucking back his shoulder-length hair, which he still wasn't used to, though it had been years since he cut it, he rinsed out his cup. Perhaps he would try sleeping again. He would have to face this all in the morning anyway. 


	3. a painful memory

I really have nothing relevant to say here. o.o; *fakes it* Colin was the beta, Mixe and Rin provided fangirl cheering, and yea.   
  
I'll be posting a Naraku x Sessho oneshot pwp on my ficpage, sometime in the next couple of days. Keep an eye out for it, if you're interested~  
  
--==--  
  
It had been days since he had gotten the courage to go back to actually talk to Hiroshige-sensei. Weeks, even. At least two. Not that he was counting or anything.   
  
But damnit, it still bothered him, how the teacher got that haunted look in his eyes every time he really looked at Masa. Especially since the he seemed like a really decent guy. He was really a great teacher, he made history come alive, as if he had really been there.   
  
Really, Masa was extremely lucky to have a teacher like that, who for once made a subject interesting and fun, instead of necessary. Masa paid attention in Hiroshige-sensei's class because he wanted to, not just because he had to pass his exams.  
  
Perhaps that was why he had practically memorized Hiroshige-sensei's schedule, and thought about him almost as much as he did about Sana, and felt compelled to go back to Hiroshige-sensei. He just wanted to try to ease some of that awful pain that he saw in him.  
  
So, maybe that's why he was standing there now, after all the students had cleared out, watching Hiroshige-sensei pack up his things.  
  
"Tanizaki..." He paused. "Forgive me. It's Masa, right? Can I help you?" His words were clipped, cool.   
  
Masa grinned and nodded. "Yup. Fancy meeting you here, Hiroshige-sensei."  
  
The teacher narrowed his eyes impatiently. "Don't you have somewhere to be Masa?"  
  
Uh-oh, he was annoying him already. Not the best set-up for a heart-to-heart. Still, he couldn't resist smiling like a loon and making a joke out of it. "Technically? Yea. Truthfully, though, I don't think the walk home is missing me all that much. Besides, I really just had a quick question."  
  
"Yes?" He snapped his briefcase shut, stood up, looking at Masa expectantly.  
  
"Um... yea." He bit his lip, wussing out at the last second. "Did you... really want that essay by Monday? I mean, that's so soon, and I..."   
  
A blink and a deeply irritated silence was his only response as the teacher started to walk towards the door.  
  
Masa winced and mentally kicked himself as the teacher passed him. He was losing a perfect opportunity. "Right, so maybe that's not what I really wanted to ask. It's just that this is kind of a weird question, especially considering that you're my teacher and all."  
  
"What is it?" He stopped, turned around, frowning slightly.  
  
"I. Well... you see. The thing is. Hiroshige-sensei, are you... alright? You seem, I don't know. Sad, and kind of distant when you look at me. Like you're remembering something."   
  
The silence stretched out between them, and that strange ache in was back in the teacher's gaze, but it was somehow worse this time. He stepped forward in response to that pain that called him, his hand raising automatically.  
  
Hiroshige-sensei's eyes widened and he reached up to catch Masa's hand. "Masa, I..." He shuddered slightly, and shook his head, closing his eyes. "What do you remember?" The question was so soft, it took him a moment to realize what the teacher had asked. And when he did, he wasn't sure he understood it.  
  
Masa frowned. "Hiroshige-sensei?"   
  
When the other man finally made eye contact with him, Masa almost wished he hadn't. He gasped and tried to gently pull his hand from the teacher's grip as he started to step back, suddenly frightened of the intensity of his gaze, which threatened to swallow him whole.  
  
"Masa.... Miroku."   
  
Miroku? He shivered. Something in the older man's gaze and the way he breathed the unfamiliar name affected him in a way he didn't understand. It reached out to him, crackling around him like electricity. It frightened him.  
  
He stared up at the teacher, and his face seemed to ripple, to change. Silver hair replaced black, strange colors ghosted over his skin. And hovering on his lips was that unfamiliar name.   
  
"Miroku."  
  
He resisted, no longer trying to be subtle about his efforts to break away from the teacher's grasp, shaking his head violently. He wasn't Miroku, he was... his mind went blank as he searched for something he knew should be there, but wasn't.   
  
There was a set of prayer beads, twined around his hand, breaking and spilling into a shallow pool of blood, bouncing, shattering. Sparkling shards of glass - or a crystal - lying in the thick, congealed blood, glittering like tears, glowing, filling his mind with a terrible brightness.  
  
Wind was howling about him, and he couldn't breathe. His head was spinning, and image upon image came crashing in on him, harder, faster, trying to destroy what was left of him and turn him into someone - something else, and he couldn't see anything but blood and pain, and he couldn't hear anything but the screams - the high, frightened screams of death as he was sucked towards a vast and immeasurable void. It didn't occur to them that they were his.   
  
Finally, when he was sure that he couldn't take it anymore, that what was left of him would be shattered by whatever was whipping through his mind, it stopped, leaving only a cool, peaceful darkness.  
  
--==--  
  
Sesshomaru's heart was beating faster than it had in decades, if not centuries. The boy had just started screaming, and only stopped when he had finally hit him hard enough to leave him unconscious.  
  
He lay, slumped over Sesshomaru's chest, breathing shallowly, and frighteningly pale. Some of his hair had come loose, falling over his face. The youkai brushed it back gently, frowning.  
  
One thing was certain, Masa did not remember anything. Not that he had really expected him to.   
  
But what on earth had that all be about? It was almost as if the boy had suddenly been caught in a dream. His eyes had grown unfocused, and his body rigid, unfeeling. Perhaps he was remembering something?  
  
Sesshomaru sighed. No, that was impossible. It must have been something else, something he had done that had triggered some internal fear in his student. Humans were fragile like that.  
  
The best thing he could do now would be to get him to the nurse's office, and then avoid the boy as best he could. Permanently. As it was, he was only inflicting his own problems on the boy, and that was the last thing he needed.  
  
He picked Masa up, sighing. Really, it was for the best.   
  
--==--   
  
Miroku woke up suddenly, choking back a scream on a throat that already felt raw and bloody.  
Too many voices, too many memories clawed at him. Sango, Kagome, Inuyasha... they called for him, screamed, pleaded, their voices blending together in an unfocused miasma.  
  
His head throbbed, and he felt like throwing up as he sat up slowly, taking in his surroundings.  
  
He was in the nurse's office, alone. He slid off the bed, holding a hand to his head. What the hell was happening? How did he get here? Last he remembered, he had been trying unsuccessfully to talk to Hiroshige-sensei.  
  
Wait. His eyes widened as he started remembering Hiroshige-sensei, calling him a name that made no sense. A name that he had just used to refer to himself.  
  
And suddenly, he remembered it all. 


	4. another night

Okay, so I'm failing this whole 'writing the sex scenes for Possession' thing. Will you all forgive me if I write them for this fic? *grins charmingly* They'll be more fun in this fic anyway, I promise XD  
  
So, here's the deal. This chapter is meant to be NC17. To follow ff.net's rules, I will not post the lemon part here. If you are wanting to read of the smut, you must go to my fanfic page (link convinently located in my profile) and read it there. If you do not want to read it, don't worry... you won't miss any major plot points. Just a lot of fun. ^.~  
  
And please, for the love of Gubert, if you read on my page, take advantage of mah nifty review system, courtesy of my gracious host, Hunter. ^^  
  
Props for this chapter go to: Rin, Leana, Ophelia, and Xin. ^^ Thanks loves~ you all rock. Especially mah Rin, who is a wonderful beta, cheerleader, inspiration, and lately, pimp. XD So, a quick bit of reciprocal pimping, because she deserves it muchly... go check out her fics if you haven't already! They're under the id of Sunfreak. Some really great work there, especially Things Worth Dying For. n.h;;  
  
--==--  
  
Another night, sitting at his kitchen table and staring at the walls. Sesshomaru chuckled dryly. This was becoming a habit. He considered the empty bottle of sake on the table in front of him almost philosophically.   
  
To get up for more, or to not get up. He pondered the decision, weighing the pros and cons of both. This was getting pathetic. He sighed, leaning back. The world tilted pleasantly with him.   
  
Yes, he had become really, really pathetic. If he had run into himself back in the day, he would have killed himself out of pity and disgust. Sighing, he let his heavy eyes drift shut.   
  
Maybe he could move again. He hadn't been out of Japan yet. Or switch professions. Or... something. Anything to be able to get away from this. Granted, he was just running away, but really what else could he do? He sighed and unsteadily got up to get another bottle of sake.   
  
He jumped and almost dropped the it as the silence of his apartment was broken by an incessant pounding on his door. He set the bottle down on the table, wove his way to his door, noting the unpleasant way his head had begun to pound.  
  
He wrenched the door open with a growl which quickly stuck in his throat. It was Masa. The boy pushed at him, barging into his apartment before he could even form a coherent sentence.  
  
Sesshomaru blinked. The boy turned to face him, as he took off his shoes. His eyes were narrowed dangerously.   
  
"Come in." He closed the door with a quiet thud, leaning against it.  
  
What on earth was the child doing here? He cleared his throat, warily. "Can I help you?"  
  
"What did you do to me, you bastard?" Masa glared up at him, his voice dangerous and quiet.   
  
Sesshomaru frowned. "I'm not sure I know what you mean."  
  
Masa leaned in, almost threateningly. "Don't play games with me Sesshomaru."  
  
The youkai was in the process of grabbing his student's shoulders and pushing him back when his words impacted. He stared at the boy, and finally managed a whisper. "Miroku?"  
  
"Yes." He sighed, dropping back onto his heels. "In a manner of speaking."  
  
Sesshomaru shook his head. "How...?"   
  
"That's what you're supposed to be telling me, youkai."   
  
--==--  
  
  
Sesshomaru watched his houseguest warily as he wrapped his hands around a cup of bitter tea, feeling a headache coming on.   
  
After an initial, confused explanation, they had both agreed to sit down and try to work out what happened. Masa was sitting across the table, Sesshomaru's abandoned sake cup in hand. He looked quite content as he filled it.   
  
Sesshomaru winced, wondering vaguely what the principal would think of him allowing his sixteen year old student to drink in his apartment at two in the morning. Somehow, he was sure it wouldn't be something good.  
  
"So, tell me again, why are you still around?"   
  
He sighed, staring into his tea. "Demons are, more or less, immortal. Many of my kind have been killed by the humans... but a handful of us still exist. I suppose you could call us the lucky ones." He laughed then, a low bitter laugh.  
  
"How many?" Masa's eyes were downcast, but his body was tense. Sesshomaru sighed.  
  
"I really don't know. I don't keep in contact with them." He shrugged. "There was really no point."  
  
"Oh." Masa contemplated this, downing more sake. "....You don't think you're lucky?"  
  
Sesshomaru blinked, looked up. "Well, of course not. Look at it this way. I've watched the world as I knew it be destroyed, those that I considered inferior overrun my land and amass power far greater than my own, been forced to conceal my true identity due to fear of what said inferior beings might do if they discover who I am, and seen all those that I loved die, most before their time." He paused, sipping at his tea. "I've lost everything I believed in and held dear. Would you consider that lucky?"  
  
"I suppose not." The boy sighed, unsteadily pouring himself another cup. "So... if it's still you, why do you look so different?"  
  
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow. "You should know my human form is, after all, a facade. I do ultimately control it."  
  
Masa nodded. "Makes sense."  
  
Several minutes passed by in silence, both of them trying to think things through.  
  
"Masa?"   
  
"Mmn?"  
  
"When did you get your memories back?"  
  
The boy's eyes grew dark, and Sesshomaru was suddenly acutely uncomfortable. "...when you touched me."  
  
"Oh."  
  
Again the silence grew between them, and the youkai didn't think he had ever been so completely off balance before. The tense silence made the back of his neck prickle, and he stared down at his tea again.  
  
Masa sighed, and he looked up to study the boy, who listed to the side slightly and stared at him with glassy eyes. Sesshomaru blinked. Surely he hadn't had -that- much sake.  
  
The cup slid from Masa's fingers, and hit the ground, shattering. Masa leaned over to look at it stupidly and Sesshomaru groaned, standing up.  
  
Just great. He walked over to the boy, carefully avoiding the sharp pieces, and gently pulled him boy to his feet, noting how his eyes were glazed over and his muscles completely relaxed.   
  
Masa slumped into him, and sighed. "'m s'rry...."  
  
Now what? He was obviously too drunk to make it home. Sesshomaru grimaced. Masa would have to spend the night. And damn, he -hated- sleeping on the couch.   
  
Nothing else to do though. He lead the boy to his room.   
  
Masa perched on the edge of his bed, his head cocked to the side as he watched Sesshomaru move about the small room. He blinked as the youkai shoved a large shirt into his hands.   
  
"You can wear that."  
  
He looked down at the shirt, nonplussed. "'m I stayin here?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Why?" Masa blinked.  
  
"You're too drunk to get yourself home."  
  
"'m not!"   
  
Sesshomaru crossed his arms. "You just drank a half bottle of rather strong sake and broke my cup."  
  
Masa flushed. ".... so?"  
  
He sighed. "So, you're sleeping here tonight." He walked over to the closet to pull a blanket out.  
  
"Fine." The boy sighed.  
  
He turned around, satisfied, and his eyes widened. Masa was in the process of pulling off his jeans. His t-shirt already lay in a rumpled pile on the floor. Sesshomaru inhaled sharply. Oh dear.   
  
He turned back to the closet, pretending sudden interest in it's contents. Oh lord, the boy just had to be beautiful, didn't he? Not that he wasn't last time. "Sesshomaru?"   
  
"Hm?" He turned back cautiously. Masa was firmly tucked under the covers and he permitted himself a small sigh of relief.   
  
"Thanks." Masa smiled crookedly.  
  
Sesshomaru nodded slightly, then leaned over the boy for the spare pillow. He looked at him - Masa looked so small in his bed.   
  
As he was drawing back, Masa reached up, caught his shoulder, and pulled him off balance. He caught himself inches from falling on top of the boy, his hands splayed out on either side of his body.   
  
Surprisingly strong arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer and Sesshomaru felt his throat tighten. "Where do you think you're going?"  
  
"The couch." He made each word clipped, suddenly terribly nervous. He knew that look in Masa's eyes, and it did not bode well. He was not going to fuck his student.   
  
He was -not-. No matter how much he remembered from being Miroku, or how long it had been since Sesshomaru had taken a lover, or how much the boy thought he wanted it... no matter how damned sexy he was lying there. He wasn't. Really.   
  
He cleared his throat, trying to look as severe as possible. "You're drunk."  
  
"No.... I'm really not." Masa's grin turned predatory, and he leaned up to cover Sesshomaru's mouth with his own.  
  
--==--  
  
Reminder: There's more of this on my fanfiction page! Check my profile for the link! 


	5. losing control

Finally... finished.... *pants* x.x;;  
  
Long time in coming. Gomen ne. *shrugs* been going through some ickyness lately, haven't felt like writing. Plus, I'm busily working on re-writing and storyboarding my one of my original fics, Ascension, to be turned into a manga! o.o! *crosses fingers* let's hope it turns out goood. n.n;  
  
Anyway, beta thanks for this chapter go to Colin and tdei, and inspiration rights to go mah darlink hubby Rin, who needs to get off her butt and update TWDF! *whimpers, goes into withdrawals*  
  
--==--  
  
Miroku woke up with a start, disoriented, his heart racing. Something wasn't right. He was curled up next to a very warm body. Looking up, he stared at the sleeping demon whose arms were loosely wrapped around him.  
  
Oh yea. He had spent the night with Sesshomaru. He relaxed and grinned, tucking his loose hair behind his ears.   
  
It wasn't half bad, either, he had to give the old man some credit.   
  
He glanced at the clock as he cautiously slid out of Sesshomaru's grasp, trying not to wake the youkai. Fuck, it was almost six am already. It was a wonder that Sesshomaru wasn't up already. The centuries must be taking a toll on his endurance, Miroku surmised with a small grin. He quickly gathered his wrinkled clothing up off the floor and got dressed, then pulled back his hair absentmindedly.   
  
He wondered if he had been missed, as he made his way through the apartment, peeking back at Sesshomaru to make sure he was still asleep. Probably not. Masa's parents weren't exactly the observant types. He pulled on his shoes as quietly as he could, and slipped out the door.  
  
He didn't really feel like being there when the youkai woke up.  
  
The air outside was hazy and a bit chilly. Miroku breathed deeply, tasting it as he stretched. He winced as tense muscles protested, then turned his attention to the things around him. A few people were on the street with him, going about their business.   
  
His hands were cold, and he shoved them into his pockets. What to do today? He thought briefly about school, then discarded that idea with a smile. Why go to school when he could actually have some fun?  
  
But what to do? There were so many possibilities... he turned them over in his head, considering. And then, suddenly, a smile flitted over his lips. Maybe making an appearance at school might actually be one of the finest forms of entertainment to be had here. Provided, of course, that he made some preparations.   
  
--==--  
  
Sesshomaru packed his things, thanking all the deities he could think of that the day was over. It felt as if it had taken ages, as if several extra hours had been slipped in without his students noticing.   
  
Ever since Masa hadn't shown up, he had gotten this sinking feeling. Worry tugged at his mind, made him slow, lethargic. Well, that and a simple lack of sleep, he admitted, snorting slightly.  
  
Honestly, though, he was worried about Masa. Had the boy made it home all right? And why did he leave so early? Perhaps he was regretting it. Sesshomaru grew cold at that thought. What if he -was- regretting it? Would he cry rape?  
  
Though he could certainly avoid any real repercussions from something like that, it would be damned inconvenient if the boy did. He'd have to withdraw from teaching, that was certain, and possibly go into seclusion for a few years until the whole mess blew over.  
  
He sighed, feeling a faint headache coming on. What had possessed him to take advantage of Masa like that? Granted, the boy had been the aggressor. He smiled slightly. Miroku always -had- been a bit forward in that way. He remembered a certain time in a hot spring...  
  
Ah, but a digression like that was liable to get him into trouble. If he wasn't already, that is. He cast a glance around the classroom, a hand on the door. His eyes found Masa's habitual seat, rested there for a second as he frowned.  
  
He shook his head slightly as he opened the door, trying to clear it of his confusion. When he looked up, his breath caught in his throat and he froze.  
  
Masa stood there, leaning against the wall of the hall, a decidedly evil smirk on his face.   
  
"Hey," he drawled, and Sesshomaru felt his mouth go dry. Masa peeked out from behind small sunglasses, and he was wearing something that was definitely not the school uniform.   
  
Sesshomaru had to clear his throat, and even then, he half-expected it to close up when he spoke. "Masa... you weren't in class today."  
  
"I was busy." Entirely too kissable lips curved up in a half smile, as Masa reached into his pocket, pulling out something that he tossed at Sesshomaru. "I didn't think you'd really mind."  
  
Sesshomaru caught it, looking at it in disbelief. His eyes snapped up to Masa's in shock, and then he whipped his head to look in either direction, making sure the hall was clear. Masa had just thrown him a bottle of lube. His brain ground to a halt while trying to process the implications of that.   
  
He was still processing when the boy grabbed his arm purposefully and dragged him down the hall, pausing only to wrench open the door of a custodial closet, shove Sesshomaru through it, and close it behind them.  
  
Any coherent thoughts he might have vocalized at that point were cut off by a hungry mouth and a pair of quick hands that worked at the buttons of his shirt, sliding it off his shoulders within moments.   
  
With a groan, he leaned into the kiss, drawing it deeper, his hands working between them, pulling at Masa's clothes.  
  
--=--  
  
Miroku's head whirled with pleasure as Sesshomaru pushed him roughly back against the door and pulled his shirt up and over his head. A hot mouth slid over his neck, pressing hot, almost violent kisses to it. He could feel the scrape teeth and caress of tongue and knew that he'd have bruises to hide tomorrow. He moaned as he wound his arms around Sesshomaru's waist, pulling him as close as he could.  
  
It felt so good to be back, he thought as slightly pointed fingernails slid down his chest, stroking, making him close his eyes in pleasure. The youkai seemed to know all the right places to touch, as he always had, to make him shiver.   
  
It was so damn good to be back here with him.  
  
He stroked his hands up the warm, bare skin of Sesshomaru's back, arching up to him as the demon's hands paused on the button of his pants.   
  
"You're so beautiful," Sesshomaru whispered, pausing to stare at him in the dim light.  
  
Miroku closed his eyes against the words. For some reason, they made him want to shatter with happiness - and fear.  
  
He didn't want this to turn out like it did last time. He couldn't screw up again. This time, he would make sure it was perfect.  
  
"Beautiful... and mine." The youkai leaned in to nip at his lips. "Mine forever."  
  
He sighed, trembling. His head was still spinning, faster now, trying to pull him down. He felt drunk. Dying.   
  
Miroku knew he shouldn't ask, should try to center himself before even trying, but he couldn't resist. "Say it again? Please..." He sighed, chest feeling heavy.  
  
"Forever," Sesshomaru breathed, and he could feel himself lose control. Shuddering, he buried his head in the youkai's shoulder, and let himself be pulled under.  
  
Masa's eyes fluttered open, feeling gentle lips pressed to his hair, warm hands tracing idle, sensuous patterns on the skin of his stomach.  
  
He drew away and looked up to the shadowed face of Hiroshige-sensei.  
  
What the... he gasped as the teacher leaned down to catch his mouth in a gentle, hot kiss.   
  
It was different than the few times he had been brave enough to kiss Sana. Wilder, more knowledgeable. It made him tremble, instinctively knowing that this was heading somewhere that he wasn't ready to go.  
  
He pulled away, focusing on his breaths, which came out in short pants. His heart was beating much too fast. He whimpered, feeling Hiroshige-sensei's fingers slide under the waistband of his pants.  
  
This couldn't be happening. He pushed at Hiroshige-sensei as hard as he could, forcing the larger man to take a step back.  
  
"Miroku...?" The teacher's voice was concerned, and his hand raised up to his arm in a light, soothing caress.  
  
"What did you call me?" Masa whispered, a sick feeling growing in his stomach. He remembered something about that name, something vaguely menacing.  
  
Hiroshige-sensei frowned. "Miroku, what's wrong?"  
  
Suddenly, all he wanted was to be far away. Masa's hand slid along the door behind him, searching for the knob desperately, wrenching it open. The door fell outwards, and he stumbled out into the well-lit hall. 


	6. dressed for success

apologies again for my slow updates... (man, is this becoming a habit or what? -.-;;) hopefully things'll start moving along again here soon, or at least I'll be able to space my pieces out instead of putting out three things a month :3  
  
anyway, here be exposition. And next chapter be lemon-flavored! Let's hope that one gets out quicker, it should with tdei and colin kicking my ass for more. And speaking of, thanks to those two wonderful peeps for beta-ing this and helping me smoothe out the places where I wasn't being clear enough. Hope you all enjoy~  
  
--==--  
  
Masa struggled to get his breath, still feeling ripples of pleasure filling his body, even as he shook, his skin feeling cold, too tight. He stared at Hiroshige-sensei, who looked almost as confused as he felt.  
  
"Miroku...?" The teacher's voice was soft and it sent a light shock through him. He pressed himself against the wall, looked to the side.  
  
"Miroku." Footsteps, and suddenly the older man was close, standing mere inches from him. Gentle fingertips brushed his cheek. "What's wrong?"  
  
With a shuddering sob, Masa knocked the hand away.   
  
"Please..." The teacher sounded worried, frustrated, irritated. "Talk to me, Miroku."  
  
Oh god, he felt like he was going to be sick... his breathing was funny, all high-pitched, and his entire body was trembling so much, he was dizzy. He clenched his eyes shut, trying to gain control, but it felt like he was falling, and he could hear himself sobbing, but somehow it felt all fuzzy and wrong somehow...  
  
The next thing he knew, he was reeling from a sharp pain on the side of his cheek. He brought his hand up cautiously, blinked up into the strangely golden eyes of Hiroshige-sensei.   
  
"... you hit me." It was all he could focus on, that shock. Teachers weren't supposed to hit students.   
  
The teacher winced. "You were hysterical. It's what they do in movies."  
  
"I..." Teachers also weren't supposed to be making out with them in closets, he realized with a short laugh. "What..." Masa swallowed, trying to force the words out, though they didn't want to come. "What's happening to me?"  
  
Hiroshige-sensei frowned. "What do you mean?"   
  
Masa shook his head, at a loss. "I... why were you-- I mean..." He paused, holding his breath for a second and letting it out in a sigh, trying to focus. "Hiroshige-sensei.... what did you call me, before? And why...." He didn't finish the question, couldn't find the right way to.  
  
The teacher stared at him for a few seconds before speaking, and when he did it was in a whisper. "Oh god." Hiroshige-sensei paled slightly, paused to clear his throat. "What exactly do you remember?"  
  
"I don't know... Asking you if you were alright, I guess, and then suddenly we were in the closet, and I... you..." He blushed, trailing off and averting his eyes.  
  
Hiroshige-sensei took a step back, breath hissing out in a disbelieving sigh. "Nothing else?"  
  
Masa shook his head, wrapping his arms around his waist. He still felt cold, tingly.  
  
"Masa... what day is it?"   
  
"Friday...?" The statement slid into a question at the look on the older man's face.  
  
"Actually, it's Saturday." Hiroshige-sensei rubbed his hands over his face. "Shit." He looked back up at Masa, and the boy caught his breath at the serious intensity in his eyes. "We need to talk."  
  
Masa nodded slightly, and the teacher looked around the hall. "Not here." He disappeared back into the closet and reappeared quickly, pulling his shirt on. He wrapped his overcoat around Masa's shoulders. "Come on."  
  
--==--  
  
God. He was in Hiroshige-sensei's apartment. With the guy who was just all over him in the broom closet. Was he insane? Did he hit his head? He didn't -remember- hitting his head, but apparently memory hadn't been his strong suit in the last couple days.  
  
"You don't remember at all, do you?"   
  
Masa jumped, broken out of his reverie. "I..." He looked down at the sake cup, rolling the liquid inside of it. A bit splashed out onto his hand.  
  
"No, it's obvious you don't. God, how could I have been so oblivious?" Hiroshige-sensei scowled up at the roof. "I was entirely too caught up-- damnit."  
  
Masa stayed quiet, stared down at the alcohol the teacher had poured.  
  
"Alright. I suppose I should start at the beginning." A hand curled under Masa's chin, jerking it up, and he looked at the teacher in shock. "But first, a promise. You'll hear me out until the end, and you'll ask your questions then."  
  
Masa blinked, nodded. "I promise."  
  
"Right then." Hiroshige-sensei let go of Masa, settled back in his chair. Lifting his own sake cup, he tossed back the contents rapidly and poured himself another.  
  
"Are you going to drink that sake or keep it warm for me?"   
  
Masa raised it to his lips, wincing at the taste that spread over his tongue. It tasted like paint thinner.  
  
The older man started, staring down into his cup like it was a book, talking as if he was reading out of it. "My name isn't Hiroshige, first of all. It's Sesshomaru."  
  
"I'm also... not human. I'm a demon."  
  
Masa choked slightly on a bit of the warm liquid, eyes widening as he looked up. The other man carried on, ignoring his reaction.   
  
"I'm nearly immortal, by your standards. I was born several hundred years ago... around what is now called the Warring States Period.   
  
Something seemed strange about the was Hiroshige-sensei (Sesshomaru?) looked. Masa rubbed his eyes. Was he imagining things? He let his hands drop, and he gasped slightly.   
  
Hair that once was black was growing white and longer, and color was seeping into his skin, forming markings... lines and a crescent moon on his forehead.  
  
Oh gods. This wasn't a dream. It wasn't him imagining things. Masa stared in horrified fascination, noting the slimming and sharpening of fingernails that had previously just been a bit too long.  
  
"I was the heir of the lord of the Western Lands, young and new in my power when I met him..." Sesshomaru's voice held a world of sorrow, and Masa bit his lip as he looked up into his golden eyes.  
  
"His name was Miroku." The demon sighed. "At first, I hardly noticed him. He was human, weak and inferior to me, and he was allied with my brother, a half-breed bastard. All he was, was an obstacle, to be killed and cast aside.  
  
"But somehow, we ended up allies, working together. And I couldn't help being intoxicated by him. He was... very noticeable. Handsome-- beautiful really-- and frighteningly intelligent. Eventually, I seduced him. Or he seduced me."  
  
Sesshomaru shook his head, sipping more sake. "I don't know how, but I came to feel deeply for him. Perhaps I even... loved him. But he... he had other priorities. He married a girl who had been infatuated with him since she was very young, and they had a family together  
  
"We rapidly fell out of touch. I suppose he didn't care about me enough to contact me. I learned of his death only years later." The demon trailed off, sighed.  
  
"And much sooner than I could have believed, the day of youkai was over. And those of us who wanted to survive adapted, learned to hide in the human world." He smiled wryly. "Eventually, I became a history teacher."  
  
Masa stared at the demon, sake cup forgotten in his hands. "You're... serious?" he gulped, head swimming.   
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"And... how do I fit into all of this," Masa whispered, dreading the answer.  
  
Sesshomaru stared at him, and Masa found himself squirming under the intensity of those eyes. "I believe that you're Miroku's reincarnation."  
  
"I..." he started, then fell silent. He looked down at his cup, then deliberately raised it to his lips, choked the burning liquid down. It brought tears to his eyes, and he took big, slightly shaky breath.   
  
"And why were we together?" He asked quietly as he set his cup on the table.  
  
Sesshomaru winced slightly. "You see... yesterday you suddenly remembered everything. Or at least, it seemed that you were remembering. You acted--" He paused, frowning slightly. "You acted exactly like Miroku did."  
  
Masa snorted, his lip curling derisively. "And this is what? Strange, considering I'm apparently his carbon copy?" His voice was laced with bitterness.  
  
"I didn't mean to imply that." Sesshomaru's brow furrowed deeper. "No, that should have been my first clue."  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"Well, you see, reincarnations often have vastly different personalities from each other. They share a spirit, so there's a certain sameness at the core of each incarnation of a soul, but the surface personality often differs wildly, based on environment and upbringing..." the demon trailed off, thoughtfully.  
  
Masa shook his head, suddenly overwhelmed and feeling a throbbing ache starting in his temples. He stood up, feeling slightly dizzy from the sake. "Look, I can't... I'm going home."  
  
"Masa," Sesshomaru looked up at him, worried. "I'm sorry."  
  
"No, don't. I just... I've got to go." He slid the teacher's jacket off his shoulders, and paused, taking in his attire, something which he had been too confused to pay attention to, up until now.  
  
He -definitely- didn't remember owning anything like this. He looked like one of those artsy goth geeks, the kind that went to fashion design school or harbored pretentious dreams of being rock stars.   
  
He frowned and instead of sliding the rest of the way out of the jacket, slipped his hand into one of the jacket pockets and pulled a small bottle out.  
  
Masa sucked his breath in as he stared at it. "What exactly did you two plan to do with my body?"  
  
Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, but kept silent. Masa pulled the jacket off, tossed it on the table, and advanced on the youkai, a dangerous light in his eyes. "Tell me." He pushed at the older man's shoulder, forcing him to settle back in the chair. "Would you have slept with me?"  
  
He felt himself grow cold as Sesshomaru averted his eyes. "Of course. You already did." The demon sighed slightly at his statement. It was confirmation enough. He stared, his mind spinning, thoughts so tangled and confused he could barely get a handle on them.  
  
After several seconds of silence, golden eyes turned back to him, searching his. "Masa, I think you should go home. Take some time, let this all work itself out in your head. I can call you a taxi..."  
  
He shook his head, trying to focus. "No. Shut up."   
  
Sesshomaru kept talking, as if he hadn't said anything. "...and perhaps tomorrow-"  
  
Quickly, he leaned into the youkai, clumsily sealing their mouths together, stopping the flow of words. Sesshomaru made a muffled sound of surprise, eyes flying open in shock as his hands rose up to Masa's shoulders, trying to push him away.   
  
But the resistance wasn't enough, barely enough to be considered as such. Sesshomaru wouldn't hurt him to push him away, somehow he knew that.  
  
He slid onto Sesshomaru's lap, straddling him, fisting his hands into that long silver hair stubbornly, refusing any other attempt by the youkai to break the awkward kiss.   
Lips trembled against his, but didn't give way. He pulled back. "What's wrong?" His voice was flat, drained of emotion.  
  
Setting his jaw, the youkai looked away. "Masa, don't." He reached up to Masa's wrists, trying to pull his hands down.   
  
"Come on. If I'm going to have lost my virginity, don't I at least deserve to remember it?" Sesshomaru's mouth fell open slightly, and Masa leaned in to kiss him again, pressing the slight advantage. 


	7. a hasty retreat

A bit short, compared to my regular chapters, but this one is highly transitional, and a lot happens. ^^ I know I promised sex0r... sorry, Sessychan wasn't going along with my little scheme. Blame him, not me!  
  
Thanks to uberbeta and best twinchan ever, Colin. *blows kissus and glitter*  
  
--==--  
  
Sesshomaru slowly pulled away from the kiss, suppressing a low groan.  
  
Shit, shit, shit. He tried to work his hands between them, to push the smaller boy back. This couldn't be healthy in the slightest. Masa's lips fluttered against his throat, gentle, not quite certain.  
  
He was just a child.   
  
"Masa." His voice was quiet but firm. The voice that he had once used to command armies of youkai. It was certainly enough to get the human child's attention, who looked up into his eyes, startled.  
  
Sesshomaru watched him for a long second, noting the anger, the confusion and uncertainty that clouded his expression. "Masa, I can't."   
  
Masa sat back on the youkai's knees, eyes narrowing dangerously. "Can't or won't?"  
  
Sesshomaru reached up to brush a few strands of hair back from Masa's face, noting how he flinched just slightly. He shook his head. "Fine, won't then. Masa, you're too-"  
  
"Young? That's funny, it didn't seem to bother you last time you fucked me."  
  
He couldn't help wince. Of course it had bothered him... but then, "Damnit, you think I wanted this?"  
  
"I think it's exactly what you wanted. Or, did you actually have a half second of angst before taking advantage of me?"  
  
"That's not what happened." Masa obviously didn't believe his protestations, and the youkai growled slightly. "-He- attacked me, first of all, and secondly I tried to tell him no. But damnit, I-"   
  
"You what?"  
  
Sesshomaru shook his head, clenching his jaw slightly, and looking to the side. "Nothing." He was done talking about it, thinking about it. The past was done.  
  
"Say it."  
  
He had to stop this, before it went too far. It really already had, he was saying too much, feeling too much, and he wanted to talk, and talk... to babble about everything until there was nothing left to say, and that was a very very bad idea and... In desperation, he leaned up to the boy, crushing their lips together.   
  
It was a rough kiss, just shy of bruising, and Masa squeaked in surprise, a hand automatically raising to cup Sesshomaru's chin. But he didn't pull away... instead he leaned into it.   
  
He realized somewhere in the middle of the kiss that he had just thrown himself back into the exact thing that he was trying to prevent. It was like a bucket of ice water thrown over him, and he shoved Masa back, practically throwing the boy off of him.   
  
Masa blinked at him in shock, bend back over the edge of the table, hand half-in Sesshomaru's overturned cup, the sake pooling on the table.  
  
"No." He looked up into Masa's shocked, angry, dark eyes, and pushed himself back and up, the chair tilting precariously. He was shaking slightly.   
  
"No?" The word was drawn out, slow and disbelieving. Almost disdainful. The boy tossed his head, sending his hair flying. "He doesn't love you, you know. He never loved you."  
  
"He was just using you. Like you used me."  
  
He clenched his fists, suddenly filled with rage, blood thundering through his veins. He wanted to... no. Calm down. Breathe slowly. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to gain control of himself.  
  
Time to get rid of the boy. "Masa, you have to leave now."  
  
"No." He looked up to see Masa cross his arms, glaring.   
  
He wouldn't be able to move the boy with words, he realized. Sesshomaru clenched his jaw on his anger. "Fine. Stay here then. I'll leave."  
  
A hand caught at his sleeve as he headed for the door, and he shook it off immediately.  
  
It was only much later that he even thought about what he was doing.  
  
He had lost himself as much as he could, wandering down streets, not even paying attention to where he was going. Heading west, avoiding trains, avoiding crowds. His progress was painfully slow, but he was already far away from his apartment and Masa.  
  
Running away, again. His lip curled slightly in disgust.  
  
This human life had made him so disgustingly weak. He had let himself become bound by their laws, their taboos, their emotions. Stupid.  
  
And all that could be traced back to the damned priest's influence.  
  
He growled slightly to himself, not even noticing how his nails dug into his palm as he clenched his fists.   
  
What kind of dimwitted inbred youkai lord lost his head over a human, for god's sake? Especially the baby reincarnation of a human -priest-.   
  
God, this city went on forever, and it made his skin crawl. He wanted desperately to be away from everything, to never see another human again in his life.  
  
"Sesshomaru?"   
  
The voice was feminine, rich and lovely, and made him pause involuntarily, casting a glance to his left.  
  
Wide, dark eyes framed by long, glossy hair stared back at him. And though older than he remembered, the face was still quite familiar.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here," she said softly as her lips quirked up in a smile  
  
"Kagome."   
  
"For a moment, I thought you might have forgotten. It's been a long time for you, hasn't it?"  
  
He shrugged, an irritable roll of his shoulders. "Not long enough. If you'll forgive me, I'm not interested in reminiscing about the past anymore. Especially not with my brother's human wench."  
  
She laughed then, covering her mouth, eyes half-closing. "Oh, Sesshomaru, I'm glad to see that your manners have improved."  
  
He growled, turning away.  
  
"Tell Miroku that I miss him, won't you?"  
  
Sesshomaru stopped cold, spinning to look at the suddenly sober Kagome. "Miroku is dead, wench."  
  
She smiled again, sad and wistful. "I know..." She shook her head, "But being dead isn't keeping him from interfering with the living, is it?"  
  
The youkai stared at her, and she sighed. "I know you probably don't care, but I think we should talk. If we don't do something, the situation could get worse and..." she trailed off, eyes distant.  
  
He waited for a second, but she didn't finish her sentence. Finally, he nodded, slowly. "Perhaps we should." 


	8. the substitute

W00t, finally updating again! :D *does a happy, happy dance*

Okay, I realize this chapter may be a bit confusing. Don't worry, it'll pull together.

This is for mah darling Rin, whom I hope is inspired a bit. ^.~

Props to Colin and tdei for betaing and idea-tossing. Sankyuu~ :D

--==--

Masa sighed, staring darkly at the desk at the front of the classroom. It was the last class of the day. Hiroshige-sensei's class.

They had had a substitute teacher for three days now - Hiroshige-sensei was supposedly attending to a family emergency. 

Masa knew better, of course. Hiroshige-sensei had left because of him.

The new teacher, Higurashi-sensei stood at the front of the class, lecturing animatedly, and he idly drew sloppy spirals on his mostly-blank notebook.

It was strange to see a substitute so involved with their subject. At first he had ignored her. But she talked like she had been there. Like Hiroshige-sensei talked. And now his attention was caught, even though he couldn't care less about the subject.

He stared at her even after the other students had packed their bags, until the classroom was empty. He didn't even realize it until she stood in front of his desk.

"Tanizaki-san, right?" She cocked her head to the side. "Did you need something?"

He started, shutting his notebook, shoved it into his bag. "No, nothing."

Her mouth turned thoughtful. "Alright."

He stood and shouldered his bag, turned to go.

"You're worried for Sesshomaru, aren't you, Miroku?"

The soft words made him inhale sharply, freezing in his tracks. Slowly, he turned around to look at her. She watched him, eyes dark, serious. She looked slightly tired.

"Don't call me that." His throat felt tight, sore.

She shook her head. "No, you're right. You're called Masa now, aren't you? I'm Kagome."

His eyes widened. Kagome...

Flashes of people, words he didn't understand. A dull roar in his ears, that grew in intensity. He clenched his teeth, shut his eyes, trying to force it back down, away from him.

"Masa..." Her voice sounded distant, and worried. He opened his eyes.

She stood close to him, one hand holding his upper arm, as if to steady him. She held up her other hand, a slim white paper dangling loosely between her fingers. "Miroku..."

The paper touched his forehead and he felt himself being sucked away, pulled in a thousand different directions. He opened his mouth to scream, but he was falling away, leaving his body behind-

--==--

Kagome squeaked as the boy collapsed, grabbing for him, but only managing to be pulled down by him. 

Rubbing what would probably be a painful bruise on her knee, she looked at him ruefully.

He wasn't supposed to pass out like that. Of course, this was the first time she'd actually performed this particular spell, but she was sure that she had done it right, and she had never heard of this particular side-effect.

Well, at least Sesshomaru wasn't there to see it. He hadn't trusted her at all when they first talked, and convincing him to let her get involved had been... difficult.

_ Sesshomaru watched the human priestess calculatingly. "Possession? If Masa is indeed Miroku's reincarnation, that would be impossible."_

Kagome drummed her fingernails against the tabletop meditatively. "You're thinking about this all wrong. It's almost like a possession, but not precisely - Masa and Miroku share the same soul, but personality isn't part of the soul, really. It consists of superficial mannerisms, memories... only lightly grounded in one's soul. Usually, in reincarnation, the previous personality is subsumed, it simply... disappears. However, in rare cases, they remain separate, fighting for dominance. This can cause severe problems... in fact often humans diagnosed with mental illnesses are-"

She looked up and blushed at Sesshomaru's impassive glare. "-Anyway, instead of casting out the evil spirit, like you would in a case of true possession, you have to convince the foreign personality to relinquish its hold on... itself. And that can be tricky, usually the personality feels it has something to accomplish before it dissolves. I'm assuming Miroku-sama has kept his own consciousness for a reason."

"What?"

"That's what we'll have to find out."

"Are you sure you know what you're doing?"

She gritted her teeth into a confident smile. "Of course I do. I -am- a fully trained priestess now."

A low groan made brought her attention back to the boy. His eyes fluttered open, disoriented and heartbreakingly familiar.

"Kagome?" 

"Miroku!" She grinned happily, then paused, leveling him with a glare "...nice to see you haven't changed. Now, are you going to remove your hand, or am I going to have to resort to violence again?"

--==--

Masa sucked in a deep breath, stretching, the staff in his hand jangling softly in the early morning air.

It was clear and cool, one of those autumn days that felt almost like the birth of summer. Like time was running backwards. 

He sighed, watching the horizon lighten more, clouds turning the color of honey.

There were days where he would wake up to this, the sky gilding itself, a display of riches enough to make him forget that he was sleeping on cold, rocky ground instead of a plush bed in a palace.

Of course the bed in the palace was always preferable, but still. One had to see the sky occasionally, to remind themselves that there was a world out there.

Now, he always woke up in a bed, warm, comfortably wrapped up in the slim, soft arms of his wife. 

Now he wasn't a monk anymore, though he still wore the robes, carried the staff. The world wasn't as dangerous these days, thanks to him and his companions, but old habits died hard.

A small hand twined into his, and he looked down at his youngest daughter, who had half her free hand stuffed in her mouth. Her hair was adorably mussed, sticking up from all angles.

He smiled, sitting next to her, pulling the girl into his lap. She curled up, leaning her head on his shoulder, and sighed deeply. 

She was still tired, breathing deeply and slowly while she probably left a trail of drool down his robes. He held her close, watching the sky.

A bit of movement caught his eye, down the hill that he sat on. A girl, just shy of being a woman ran through the tall grass, her distant laughter a memory of bells. He watched her as she spun around, her hair flying.

A flash of silver on gold - another person emerging from the forest to walk across the clearing, following the girl.

Sesshomaru. He sucked in a breath involuntarily. The youkai paused, looking up at him. Their eyes met.

"Who are they?" His daughter's question was strung out over yawns.

He sighed, frowning. "No one important."

No one important... Suddenly he felt cold. He nuzzled into her warm hair, inhaling the sweet smell. 

"Let's go wake your mother up." 


	9. Pets, Souls, and Seduction

Ugh. You all have the right to smack me. I'm sorry, I know it's been months since I've updated. Just been losing my focus, I guess. And for a while, I didn't know where I wanted to take this fic. But I think I'm getting better. I hope. Ugh. XD;  
  
Props to Colin, Tdei, Kat, and Catie for betaing. Also to Kat, for giving me the inspiration for the first half of this, as well as the idea for Jake. ^^ (She drew me a picture, but I'm not sure where it is currently. As soon as I find it, I'll upload it to my page)  
  
Oh, one technical note: Kagome, I'm assuming, is around 25-30 in this fic, and she's a trained priestess now. Because she gets the short end of the stick -far- too often. She's way more badass than Takahashi-sensei (from what I've seen o.o;) lets her be :/  
  
--==--  
  
Sesshomaru was not a happy youkai.   
  
Okay, so youkai weren't supposed to be "happy" per se anyway. Fearsome, yes. And they could also be stoic, handsome, powerful... commanding. Happy wasn't really a requirement.  
  
And ridiculous was definitely -not- on the list of accepted appellations.  
  
He sighed, staring through the clear plastic walls of the small aquarium that Kagome had given him. A large toad stared back at him, puffing its cheeks in boredom. In simple, loopy, young-girl script, "Jake" was written on the top of the aquarium.  
  
The priestess had a terrible sense of humor. He glowered at the animal, his best withering glare; the one that had sent countless thousands of demons fleeing in terror. The animal didn't even have the decency to -blink-.  
  
He poked at the cage, slightly, shaking it on the tabletop. The toad let out a disgruntled croak, and it jiggled, like jello. He shook his hair out of his face, sighing.  
  
If Inuyasha were here now, the halfbreed would die laughing. And honestly, could he blame him? Ridiculous. Where were his lackeys? His palace? All he currently commanded was a fat toad and a cramped single-bedroom apartment. And apparently not even the toad, who seemed intent on ignoring him.  
  
He sighed, standing up, heading to the kitchen. Tea. He could do tea. Fill the kettle. Turn on the stove. Boil the water. Easy.  
  
Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, crossing his arms. Stared out the kitchen door at the toad. Sighed, then began, conversationally, "you know, a few hundred years ago, I was the most feared youkai in Japan."  
  
Another croak, derisive this time. "Do not talk back to me. Or would you like to be gutted and roasted?" The toad stared impassively. "... Fine. I admit, it was perhaps not all of Japan. However, the point is that... I should not have to make my own cursed tea."  
  
No response. Jake was obviously unimpressed. Sesshomaru sighed, shifting his attention to the kettle. His reflection was distorted, leering back at him. He scowled.  
  
Perhaps, he had to admit, the priestess had a point. To leave Masa in such an... unstable state could be catastrophic for the boy. Although why he bothered to care baffled him. And why he came back -with- her made even less sense.  
  
She had pleaded that she might need his help. That perhaps the reason Miroku had come back -now- was to talk to him. Why he was in his bloody apartment making tea and being stared at by a corpulent toad right now was beyond him.  
  
He poured the water, dunking a teabag in it, staring off into the distance. Contemplated Miroku, and that the priest might have actually come back to talk to him, of all people.   
  
Why him? Though it galled him to admit it, what they had was truly nothing. A few snatched days, no more than a breath of time. Perhaps he remembered it clearly, but Miroku had forgotten it, pushed it aside. Yet another one of his varied conquests, abandoned for the stability of a home, a family.  
  
So why wasn't he with the spirit of his wife, his children? Or even his friends? It made no sense.   
  
Sesshomaru growled to himself. What was taking the woman so long?  
  
--==--  
  
Miroku sat up, slowly, his head throbbing. "What are you doing here, Kagome?"  
  
She scooted back a bit, giving him room. "I live here, Miroku."  
  
"I wondered if you might. The clothing is very similar." He smiled lecherously, and she raised an eyebrow. Sighing, he continued, "but... I meant why are you here, specifically.  
  
"Ah..." she tucked a stray lock behind her ear. "Cleaning up your mess, actually." She grinned wryly. "Honestly, Miroku, don't you know the type of damage you can cause by doing this?"  
  
He blinked. "Damage?"  
  
"I can't believe they didn't teach you that when you became a monk." She sighed, standing, smoothing her skirt. "Possession of your reincarnation leads to all sorts of nasty stuff. Emotional instability in both personalities, at very least. At worst, the soul could be damaged, throwing it out of the cycle of reincarnation to be a lost spirit - or even fragment the soul itself."  
  
"Oh." He stared at her, eyes slightly wide as he pulled himself to his feet.  
  
"Also... you wreak havoc with magical fields when things like this occur. I'd imagine anyone sensitive in the vicinity has felt it. I recognized your feel in the magic, which is why I came."  
  
He nodded, slowly. "I see..."  
  
She picked up her briefcase, smiling. "Well. We have a lot to talk about. Do you want to come with me to have some tea? Or sake, if I remember your tastes correctly."  
  
Miroku smiled a bit, bowing. "It would be my pleasure."  
  
"You paying?" She slipped her arm around his, smiling impishly, and he rolled his eyes.  
  
"Yes, Kagome, I'm paying. With the currency of my charm and good looks."  
  
She snorted as they left the classroom. "It's a good thing that I brought my wallet then."  
  
--==--  
  
The water burned his skin when he moved, and the clouds of steam were so thick, it was like breathing underwater. He sucked his breath in slowly, keeping his eyes on the light silhouette across from him.  
  
He knew he had been detected. The youkai had keen senses, and probably had known he was there before he had even spotted Sesshomaru. He didn't act like he knew, however, golden eyes shut, resting gracefully against the rocks, his hair carefully draped over them, out of the water.  
  
He could have been part of the pale rock, still and silent. Masa moved through the water, quietly, coming to a halt barely a foot away.  
  
  
  
The demon opened his eyes lazily. A questioning, haughty glance, meant to quell him, to intimidate.  
  
It should have given him pause. Though they were no longer enemies, they were hardly friends. But Masa smiled at him, a slow half grin, and slid up onto his lap, straddling his hips.  
  
"Hello." He spoke softly, laying an arm over the demon's shoulder.  
  
A sharp indrawn breath and widening of eyes were his reward, making his smile grow a touch wider.  
  
"Monk." The word was flat, an acknowledgement of his presence. It would do.  
  
He leaned in to press his mouth to Sesshomaru's, brushing a teasing kiss over it. For a moment, he thought that maybe that was a shiver that he felt against his lips. Sesshomaru reached up to his arm, wrapping a hand firmly around the bicep, pushing him back.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?"   
  
He laughed, softly. "I thought that was obvious, Sesshomaru."   
  
A perfect eyebrow arched. "No."  
  
"No what? It's not obvious?" He kept his voice light, playful.  
  
"No thank you."  
  
Masa bit his bottom lip, pouting slightly. "Why not?"  
  
"Because you... you're.." Sesshomaru trailed off, clearly not wanting to complete the sentence. But Masa knew what he was thinking. It was written all over his face, the disapproving, set line of his jaw, the way he lifted his chin, narrowed his eyes.  
  
"Because I'm a human?"   
  
He looked away, distastefully. "Yes."  
  
He rolled his eyes. "I'm not asking for commitment. I'm asking for a good fuck." He pulled himself forward, sliding a leg around Sesshomaru's waist, rubbing against his body deliberately and was rewarded by the parting of the youkai's lips, in a silent gasp.  
  
Masa leaned down to kiss him again, a teasing, hungry caress of lips, and a soft scrape of teeth on his lower lip. "So. Are you up to it?" 


	10. who's underaged?

This was delayed in an attempt to get sunfreak to update Things Worth Dying For. It didn't work :/ Go beat on her, maybe through numbers we can wrest her away from Naruto for a while!  
  
Anyway. It's been pointed out to me that Miroku and Kagome's conversation is a bit awkward and chit-chatty. It's supposed to be. ^^ Also, I'm estimating 3-4 more chapters of this before we reach the end. There is a plot (really, I promise) and I'm working through it XD; Thanks to everyone who's kept reading... it means a lot to me!  
  
Beta props to sunfreak (the lazy ho :/) and colin. Thank you loves. :3  
  
--==--  
  
Ikichirou sighed, checking the digital clock on the cash register as he counted out his drawer and slid the money into a bag. Kagome was late. He set the bag in a small safe in the pungent back room of the store, locking it and checking to make sure he hadn't left any of the containers of herbs open.  
  
The telephone rang, and he practically dashed for the front room, snatching at it and holding it up to his ear. "Kagome?"  
  
"Yeah, it's me. I'm sorry I'm not back yet… I ran into an old friend that I haven't seen in years… so we decided to go out for dinner."  
  
"Oh." He blinked a bit. "Do I know them?"  
  
"No… it was someone I met while I was sick. Miroku… I think I've mentioned him before."  
  
Tapping a pen on the store ledger, he frowned a bit, thinking, and then nodded to himself. "Ah, yes, I remember the name. …Wasn't he the lecherous one?"  
  
She laughed lightly. "Yes. Don't worry though, I'm well-versed in protecting my honor as far as he's concerned."  
  
He frowned a bit. "I trust you."  
  
"I love you." The voice was tender, and despite himself he smiled.  
  
"I love you too. I'll see you at home in a few hours."  
  
--==--  
  
Kagome shut her cellphone with a click, slipping it back into her purse and smiling at Miroku.  
  
"Who was that?" He was watching her, his head tilted a bit.  
  
She hesitated for a second before smiling softly. "Ikichirou. My husband."  
  
"Oh." His eyes widened, surprised. "Congratulations."  
  
"Thanks." Kagome blushed just a bit and picked up her glass of beer, sipping it.  
  
"So…" he trailed off, looking over her appraisingly. "You look well. How are things? Kids?"  
  
Laughing slightly, she set her glass down. "One, actually. Shin."  
  
"How old?"  
  
"He'll be three in a month."  
  
Miroku smiled, a bit wistfully. "I'm happy for you." He paused, thoughtfully. "… and I'm sure he'll have more girlfriends than he'll know what to do with, if he takes after his mother in looks at all."  
  
She smirked into her beer. "Letch."  
  
"Oh, admit it Kagome… you missed me."  
  
A warm smile that belied the flippancy in her words. "Maybe just a little."  
  
He winked, then frowned down at the glass of water in his hands, wrinkling his nose a bit. "I can't believe they won't serve me sake."  
  
She chuckled. "I forgot you're underage."  
  
"Underage." He snorted. "What a stupid concept."  
  
Kagome shrugged. "You get used to it."  
  
He sighed a bit, looking at her dubiously. "I guess so. So… I guess you're a fully trained priestess now?"  
  
She nodded. "I took over my family's shrine a few years ago, when my grandfather retired."  
  
"Oh. … and you're here to return things to their natural order?"  
  
Kagome tilted her head, watching his face close up a bit, become wary. "Not entirely. I missed you, you know. Even with the wandering hands." She paused for a second, than shot him a warning look. "Now get your hand off my thigh before I render poor Masa incapable of procreation."  
  
The offending hand was quickly removed with a disappointed sigh and a pout. "You're as vigilant as ever, Kagome."  
  
"Yes, well." She smirked, "I –am- married now. You should have come back while I was in college."  
  
He laughed and took a moment to look her up and down, somehow both appreciatively and appraisingly. "You've changed."  
  
"Not really. I just grew up."  
  
Miroku nodded, frowning just a bit. "Have you met any other reincarnations? Of the rest of us?"  
  
She sipped her drink slowly, taking her time before she answered. "A couple."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
"I don't know, really. They didn't even look the same, but with all of them, I was just with them one day and sort of realized."   
  
"Oh. So they didn't do what I'm doing right now?"  
  
She shook her head, grinning. "No, you're special like that. But then, I put shields around them to prevent it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"The past is the past. As much as I'd like to go back, sometimes… I don't live there anymore."  
  
He nodded, leaning back in his chair and starting to mull that over. A few seconds later, she smirked a bit. "Besides. Naraku's reincarnation was annoying enough on her own."  
  
"Naraku?"  
  
"Yeah… Noriko. She ended up being my roommate in the dorms, my second year of college. Believe me, it wasn't pretty."  
  
  
  
--==--  
  
Masa stood on the bank of a small river, watching it ripple over the rocky bed of the shallow ford in the sunlight. It was the last obstacle between him and his destination, and somehow he was loathe to cross it.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" The voice at his elbow was smooth, warm. He trusted it more than he did himself, sometimes. Sango was like that. His best friend, the voice of reason he sometimes desperately needed.  
  
"I don't know." He frowned. Now that he was here, his determination seemed to have deserted him. What if she didn't accept him? She said that she would wait forever, but he knew that was much to ask. After a moment, he admitted it. "I guess I'm afraid."  
  
"Don't be. Just go. Trust that everything will work out all right."  
  
"I guess so. No looking back, right?"  
  
"Right."  
  
"I can't believe I'm leaving you behind." His grip on his staff tightened a bit with the admission.  
  
A hint of laughter softened her words. "Me neither. Jerk." She paused for a second, the kind of breathless, expectant lull in her speech that he had learned to be patient through. "What… what about Sesshomaru?" The words were a bit choked, as if she had trouble saying them. But then that didn't surprise him. Sango had never approved. They'd had several fights over the matter.  
  
"What of him?" He shrugged a bit.  
  
"You don't care for him at all?"  
  
"I don't." It was a lie, and they both knew it.  
  
Still she paused for another long minute before pointing it out. "You're lying."  
  
"He's not what I need."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
He turned to her. "What, suddenly you've changed your mind about him?"  
  
A vigorous shake of her head sent her loose hair swinging, flashing in the sun, warm and bright. She was beautiful like this, flushed and happy from her recent marriage. "It's not that and you know it. I just… I don't want you regretting this."  
  
Masa smiled. "I won't."  
  
She still looked dubious, but sighed. "Promise?"  
  
"Promise." He nodded firmly, flashing her a reassuring smile. "I'm going to miss you though."  
  
"Not Inuyasha and the others?" She laughed.  
  
"Maybe just a little. But you mostly. I still wish…"  
  
She just shook her head, leaning forward to press a light kiss to the corner of his mouth. "Bad timing. We'll still be friends forever, right?"  
  
Masa closed his eyes and nodded slowly, swallowing against the slight catch in his throat. "Absolutely. I'll visit."  
  
Sango shook a finger at him threateningly. "You'd better! Or I'm going to send Kirara to drag you by your oh-so-pretty hair!"  
  
The light in her eyes was dangerous and utterly serious, and somehow it made all those tense, nervous knots inside him loosen. Masa pulled her into a hug, one of the few that they had shared that didn't have an ulterior motive. She wrapped her arms around him as tightly as only she could and sighed.  
  
"Love you, you crazy bastard."   
  
When he crossed the river, he didn't look back. Not even to watch her as she turned to head home… though he was certainly tempted. It was time to move on. 


End file.
